Anti-fouling caster



Dec. 14, 1965 R. w. EsuTscH 3,222,703

ANTI-FOULING CASTER Filed Dec. 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (9 INVENTOR.

RICHARD W. Bunsen BY f wmi, M M QM #ZULLJW Affornsys Dec. 14, w BUTSCH ANTL-FOULING GASTER Filed Dec. 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illlllllllllllllll(!lllllll INVENTOR. RICHARD W. BUTSCH AH-arngls WHY United States Patent 3,222,708 ANTI-FOULING CASTER Richard W. Butsch, Evansville, Ind., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Bliss & Laughlin, Incorporated, Oak Brook, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 159,619 2 Claims. (Cl. 1641) This invention relates generally to casters and more particularly to a caster particularly well suited to use in conditions where conventional caster assemblies pick up foreign matter and become clogged and inoperative.

The textile industry operates many caster equipped hand trucks. The conditions in cotton mills in particular are such that conventional casters become clogged with lint and threads that inhibit their free operation. Various attempts have been made to alleviate the problem of threads which are picked up by the wheels and wrapped around the wheel axle. Devices resulting from such attempts have had very limited success, and some are of quite questionable advantage inasmuch as they contribute to faster build-up of thread and lint.

In textile mills, maintenance of casters is difficult and expensive. Not only has there been a need for casters requiring less maintenance, but for casters which, when they do require maintenance, can be easily serviced. This is true for casters used in certain other industries as well as in the textile industry. One example would be the shoe industry with its leather scrap problem.

It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide an improved caster.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a caster which can be successfully operated in a dirty environment or an environment where it is subjected to lint, ravelings, thread, and other foreign matter.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a caster which can be operated in such environments without becoming fouled or inoperative by the foreign matter present in the environment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a caster adequate to achieve the foregoing objects and which is easily maintained.

Described briefly, a typical embodiment of the present invention includes a frame which is formed to minimize the area where lint can collect between the wheel and the frame. It may also include an adjustable and flexible scraping device to prevent build-up of lint on the periphery of the wheel. Moreover, it incorporates a unitized wheel and axle assembly which can be readily removed from or attached to the frame.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and the claims.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a typical embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the lines 33 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows, with a portion of the scraper being broken away and further sectioned to illustrate the relationship thereof to the wheel.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the typical embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section of a second embodiment of the present invention, taken along the axis of the axle and illustrating a variation of the mounting of the axle to the frame of the caster.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the frame of the embodiment of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the axle of FIG. 5 with a metal retaining clip mounted thereon.

FIG, 8 is a section through a third embodiment of the invention taken along a plane through the axle and illustrating a third means of mounting the wheel to the frame.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a section through a fourth embodiment of the present invention taken along a plane through the axle, illustrating a still further means of mounting the wheel to the frame.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of a frame with the axle of FIG. 10 installed.

Referring to the first four figures of drawing, frame 10 is an integral unit of parallel front 11 and rear 12 cross members maintaining the generally U-shaped side members 13 and 14 in parallel spaced relation. The frame may, for example, be stamped from a blank of cold rolled steel sheet having a thickness of .095 inch. A wing or projection 15, integral with the side member 13 extends from the inner edge 16 thereof inwardly and then downwardly parallel to edge 16 and has a cut-out 17 therein to provide a yoke between the forward 18 and rear 19 port-ions of the wing. An identical wing projects inwardly and downwardly from the inner edge of the side member 14!, in a plane parallel to the inner edge thereof and parallel to that of projection 15.

As can be appreciated from FIG. 2, the side members of the frame are so formed that the outer portion 21 and inner portion 22 thereof are offset from each other by the intermediate portion 23. In this manner, the strength necessary to sustain longitudinal loads and vertical loads on the caster is achieved while the thickness of the side member inner edge 16 (FIG. 2) facing the wheel is extremely small, .095 inch, for example. Even the projected thickness X (FIG. 1) of the members, transverse to the axle 24, is only approximately half the thickness Y (FIG. 2) in the direction parallel to the axle 24. Thus, the great majority of the entire mass of the side members is in planar sheet form perpendicular to the sides of the wheel, and parallel to the axle.

A wheel 26 is mounted to the axle 24 through the ball bearing assemblies including outer race 27 and inner race 28 with balls (not shown) disposed therebetween. A spacer 29 disposed around the axle 24, abuttingly engages the inner race 28 and the wing 14. As one example of an alternative construction, the spacer could be eliminated and the axle could be formed with a stepped outside diameter. In the embodiment of FIGS. l-4, wheel, axle, and spacer assembly are mounted on the frame by virtue of the slots or grooves 31 in the axle. The slotted portion of the axle is received in the cut-out 17, and because of this arrangement the axle cannot turn in the frame. In this manner, wear which might otherwise occur is avoided. The assembly is retained in the cutout 17 by means of the bosses 32 engaging the spacers 29. By variation of the size of the bosses, variation can be achieved in the amount of force required to either remove or replace the wheel and axle assembly in the frame.

It will be observed particularly by reference to FIG. 2 that a substantial space Z is provided between the inner edge 16 of the side members and the sides 33 of the wheel. By virtue of this great space and the small area of the inside edge 16 facing the wheel side 33, which can be appreciated by reference to FIG. 3, lint will not accumulate between the frame and the wheels to impede rotation of the wheel. Thus, with the caster including the structure thus far described, lint cannot normally become a problem nor can reasonable amounts of other foreign matter. This includes threads and ravelings as well as miscellaneous other types of foreign matter.

As a further precaution against fouling, particularly where the caster is to be operated in areas of high concentration of foreign matter, a novel scraper 36 can be provided according to the present invention. The scraper may be formed of a single sheet of cold rolled steel, for example, and includes a front 37 and a rear 38 transverse members carried by generally longitudinal members 39 (FIG. 3) secured to the frame. As evident in FIG. 4, a typical scraper has a generally octagonal configuration. While the scraper could be secured to the frame by welds, screws, or other fasteners, a preferred securing is shown wherein a generally W-shaped portion 41 (FIG. 3) having the central region 42 is provided on the scraper, the central region being engaged by the axle 24 and the upper faces at the extremities 43 thereof being engaged by the underside 44 of the inner portions 22 (FIG. 2) of the frame side members. With this construction, the scraper can be incorporated in the caster by snap-on action. The space 46 (FIG. 3) between the inner edge 47 of the scraper and the periphery 48 of the wheel can be varied according to operating conditions to obtain best performance, by bending the scraper about an axis parallel to the axle of the wheel.

As a further precaution against entanglement or raveling of thread about the axle, a washer-like circular seal 51 (shown in diametral section in FIG. 2 only) may be provided. The seal may be of a flexible rubber-like material if desired and is provided with an opening 52 which is normally slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the spacer, or axle where the separate spacer is omitted. The seal is normally pushed on over the spacer and the face 53 thereof adjacent the outer marginal edge 54 of the seal is secured to the outer race 27 by an adhesive such as rubber cement so that the seal rotates with the wheel.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, an alternative constructions is shown. The scraper 61 is mounted to the frame 62 by means of screws 63. The axle 64 passes through the apertures 65 in the wing 66. It is secured in place by means of the spring clip 67, the upper and lower edges 68 and 69, respectively, engaging the outside face of the wing 66, the projections 70 and 71 engaging the outside diameter of the axle.

Referring to FIG. 8, a bolt 76 is used as an axle. It is received in the slot 77 in the wing 78. The wing 78 is much the same as that shown in the first four figures, but the bosses 32 (FIG. 2) are not necessary in view of the fact that the nut 79 secures the wheel and axle assembly to the frame.

Referring to FIGS. and 11, a still further variation is shown. The wings 81 are provided with tabs 82 adjacent an aperture 83 therethrough. An axle 84 having the T head 86 thereon is inserted in the apertures 83 and secured by the spring action of the tabs against the outside diameter of the axle.

It should be noted at this point that the frame 10 may be secured by bolts or other fasteners through the holes 91 therein to the underside of a hand truck or other device to be borne by the casters. Also, it may be mounted to a pivot assembly if desired to obtain swiveling caster action.

By virtue of the unique frame construction of the present invention with the generous clearances provided, accumulation of foreign matter is prevented between wheel sides and the frame. The unique axle with unitized wheel and seal assembly enables simple, easy removal of the assembly from the frame to clean or remove any lint or thread which might have accumulated over a long period of time. The unique flexible and adjustable scraper device clears foreign matter from the wheel as it rotates and by virtue of the snap-on feature, can easily Cir 4 be added to or removed from the frame and wheel assembly as desired.

The seal is not only quite simple but is also well suited to prevent dirt or other foreign matter from entering the bearings of the wheel and also is adapted to prevent accumulation of windings around the axle and frame. By virtue of the minimum of clearance provided between the cut-out in the frame wings and the slot in the axle, turning of the axle is prevented under all circumstances. Also, the provisions of the embossments 32 according to the invention, provides a simple means whereby the effort required to install or remove a wheel can be varied by simply varying the size of the embossments.

In addition to the benefits derived from the typical embodiment shown and described, other variations may in certain instances prove desirable. Cost, manufacturing, and maintenance considerations have considerable significance in the selection of which variation might prove desirable in a given set of circumstances.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being bad to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A caster comprising: a frame having a pair of parallel sidemembers, each sidemember having a horizontal portion with a wing projecting downwardly therefrom; an axle passing through openings in said wings and thereby mounted on said frame; means for retaining the axle in the openings in said wings; a wheel on said axle; and a scraper including a portion disposed adjacent the periphery of said wheel to prevent accumulation of foreign matter on said periphery, and said scraper further including two side portions extending alongside said wings, each side portion having a lower surface resting on and vertically supported by said axle and each side portion having an upper surface engaging the underside of one of said sidemembers, whereby said scraper is positioned against said frame by said axle.

2. The caster of claim 1 wherein said scraper is a generally octagonal ring of sheet material with a first two sides of the octagon disposed adjacent the wheel periphery and parallel to the axle, said octagonal ring having a second two sides which are said side portions of said scraper, a portion of said second two sides extending in a direction perpendicular to said first two sides and having generally W-shaped portions with the central regions thereof resting on and vertically supported by said axle, said W-shaped portions having upper faces at the extremities of said central regions, said extremities of said regions being the upper surfaces engaging the underside of said frame sidemembers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 660,306 10/1900 Olmsted 280-158.1

951,553 3/1910 Williams et a1. 16-41 1,540,508 6/1925 White 301112 2,077,919 4/1937 Engstrom 30141 2,255,113 9/1941 Greenleaf 1641 2,463,323 3/1949 Sickman 301-1 2,615,759 10/1952 Becker 301112 2,724,858 11/1955 Reichert 16-45 DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primaly Examiner. 

1. A CASTER COMPRISING: A FRAME HAVING A PAIR OF PARALLEL SIDEMEMBERS, EACH SIDEMEMBER HAVING A HORIZONTAL PORTION WITH WIND PROJECTING DOWNWARDLIY THEREFROM; AN AXLE PASSING THROUGH OPENINGS IN SAID WINGS AND THEREBY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME; MEANS FOR RETAINING THE AXLE IN THE OPENINGS IN SAID WINGS; A WHEEL ON SAID AXLE; AND A SCRAPER INCLUDING A PORTION DISPOSED ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WHEEL TO PREVENT ACCUMULATION OF FOREIGN MATTER ON SAID PERIPHERY, AND SAID SCRAPER FURTHER INCLUDING TWO SIDE PORTIONS EXTENDING ALONGSIDE SAID WINGS, EACH SIDE PORTION HAVING A LOWER SURFACE RESTING OIN AND VERTICALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID AXLE AND EACH SIDE PORTION HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE ENGAGING THE UNDERSIDE OF ONE OF SAID SIDEMEMBERS, WHEREBY SAID SCRAPER IS POSITIONED AGAINST SAID FRAME BY SAID AXLE. 